Well, the last 12 months certainly went by in a flash of a be-spoked wheel; which means it’s time for this year’s Cyclo preview of the Giro d’Italia. Running from May 5 to 21 and celebrating its 95th edition, the Giro, like its French cousin the Tour de France, has its roots in newspaper circulation wars. In August 1908 the Italian sports paper Gazetta dello Sport announced the inaugural staging of the Giro which it planned to organise along similar lines to the car rally supported by their rivals Corriere della Sera; nine months later, May 13, 1909, and the Gazetta’s founder Eugenio Camillo Costamagna, along with director Armando Cougnet and its editor Tullio Morgagni unleashed the first edition with 127 riders set to race from Loreto Place in Milan. Eight stages and 2448 kilometres later Italy’s Luigi Ganna claimed the 5,300 Lira prize and his place in history as the first ever Giro d’Italia winner.

Now part of the three Grand Tours (along with TdF and the much younger Vuelta a España, which was first held in 1935 but only became an annual event from 1955) the Giro d’Italia continues to amaze and delight. For the first time in its history this year’s edition will enjoy a Scandinavian start with the opening 8.7km Time Trial taking place in Herning, Denmark with days two and three (206km and 190km) also enjoying spectacular and challenging Danish hospitality before the move on day four to Verona, Italy, for the 33.2km Team Time Trial. In total the Giro will comprise 21 stages with a total ride distance of 3,503,9 km (an average, fact checkers, of 166.9 km per stage) and conclude with the 30.1km Team Time Trial in Milan on Sunday, May 27.

With seven flat stages, six medium and five high mountain stages, 2 Team Time Trials and the opening Individual Time Trial the full 2012 Giro d’Italia looks like this: